Bending Light (TTO3)

Welcome to the Virtual Optics lab of the Physics Department of the University of Colorado!

Please open https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/bending-light/latest/bending-light_en.html

Click on Intro. Please carry out the following assignments and write the answers in your notebook (may be checked after lockdown is over).
Questions? Ask a classmate. Together we are strong!

1. Set the top material to water. Press the red button.
Q1: Is the laser beam refracted? Why (not)?
2. Change the bottom material to air. Set the angle of incidence to 30 degrees. Is the incident ray reflected? (Yes).
Q2: Is the incident ray TOTALLY reflected? Why (not)?
3. Now, increase the angle of incidence slowly so that the critical angle is reached (this is where total reflection starts to occur).
Q3: Measure the critical angle (on-screen with your protractor triangle) and compare your result with the book (p. 190 yellow box).
4. Repeat steps 2-3 for glass instead of water.
Q4 = Q2 for glass
Q5 = Q3 for glass
5. Top left, change RAY to WAVE.
Q6: Compare INCIDENT and REFRACTED rays in terms of frequency, wavelength and wave speed.
(Answer: frequencies are the same, otherwise waves would "disapppear". You can see the difference is wavelength on your screen. The difference is wave speed follows from the formula v = f.lambda)

Thank you for visiting our online lab. Please take a minute to visit the website of our sponsor: https://www.colorado.edu/